45th World Skills Competition - Shweta Ratanpura created history

Adm Desk Sep 04, 2019

World Skills Kazan 2019, which was held in the Russian Federation over the past five days, came to an end with a Closing Ceremony that featured music, dance, and fireworks. Around 35,000 people attended the event at the Kazan Arena.

An Indian daughter yet again added a feather in India’s cap by winning a medal at the World Skills event, creating history in Russia’s Kazan. Although from past so many years, the female wing of the country is winning awards, especially in the field of athletics. Be it PV Sindhu, Manasi Joshi, Manu Baker, Hima Das, Bhavna Tokekar, the list is endless, but Shweta Ratanpura made the country proud on a global platform in a different field.

The entire nation rejoiced the victory when a graphic design student from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Shweta Ratanpura won a bronze medal in the category of graphic designing. She won the bronze in the graphic design category. Making it to the Hall of Fame Shweta Ratanpura has become the first Indian woman candidate at the World Skills event held in Kazan Russia to have won in this category.

Along with other participants winning one gold in water technology, 1 silver in web technologies and two bronze medals each in jewellery and graphic designing, Shweta took India to the 13th position in the competition.

We won four medals and 15 medallions of excellence at the just concluded WorldSkills Kazan 2019. This is the best performance of Indian candidates at the event so far as India has jumped 6 ranks from 19 to 13 out of 63 countries that participated in the international skilling event. This is an improvement from last year's rank - 19.

Addressing an audience comprising government representatives of 40 other countries at a Ministers’ Summit organised along the sidelines of the competition, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), said,"India is a young nation with the median age of 27.6 years. We will have the largest working population during 2022-2034. We have adapted global standards of Skilling to strengthen the young workforce with competent skills,” he said. “We have undertaken several initiatives to provide opportunities for the workforce, including prominent international recruitments to enhance their skill level.”

Skills development ministry in a statement stated that “Blazing a trail of glory for India on the global stage, the 48-member Indian team returned with the best-ever finish at the World Skills International Competition 2019 in Kazan, Russia by winning 19 medals and medallions of excellence. India finished 13th in the overall standings several notches up from the last time when it won 11 medals and finished in the 19th position in Abu Dhabi in 2017. "

One of the officials said,"With this historic triumph, Team India won hearts and set a new standard of Skilling on the world stage. India finished 13th in the overall standings several notches up from the last time when it won 11 medals and finished in the 19th position at Abu Dhabi in 2017."

45th World Skills Competition

Every two years WorldSkills hosts the world skills competition, which attracts more than 1,300 Competitors from more than 60 countries. At this event, young people from all corners of the globe gather together for the chance to win a prestigious medal in their chosen skill. There are competitions in 56 skills across a wide range of industries — from joinery to floristry and hairdressing to electronics. The Competitors represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions that are held in WorldSkills Member countries and regions.

One of the legacies of WorldSkills Competitions is the increased visibility of skilled professional education, as one of the tools of social and economic transformation.

This year,more than 1,350 Competitors from 63 countries and regions competed in the 45th World Skills Competition. The main aim of world skills competition is to raise the profile and recognition of skilled people, and show how important skills are in achieving economic growth. They inspire young people to develop a passion for skills and pursuing excellence, through competitions and promotions and develop skills through global training standards, benchmarking systems, and enhancing industry engagement. World Skills Competition is working and influencing industry, government, and educators through cooperation and research — building a global platform of skills for all.

List of winners from India

S Aswatha Narayana from Odisha won a gold medal in water technology.
Pranav Nutalapati from Karnataka won a silver medal in web technologies.
Sanjoy Pramanik from West Bengal won the bronze medal in jewellery.
Shweta Ratanpura from Maharashtra also won the bronze medal in graphic designing.